Knitted glove and method of making the same



" Sept. 6, 1927. 1,641,570 K G. P. BOSWORTH KNITTED GLOVE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed April 8. 1920 lwvemigr: aear gcfifiosworEh.

by M, M WW8 Patented Sept. 6, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE.,I

GEORGEP. BOSWORTH, OF CENTRAL FALLS, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO HEMPHILL COMPANY, OF CENTRAL FALLS, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION .OF MASSACHU- SETTS.

I xnir'rnn GLOVE Am) METHOD or MAKING THE SA E,

Application filed April 8, 1920. Serial No. 372,348. I

I ing specification and particularly pointed out in the claims, reference'being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein I have shown merely for the pur osesof illustration forms of gloves embo ying this invention.

In the drawings p Fig. 1 is a front elevation of. a glove em-v bodying the essential features. ofv my invention; 4

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of a glove blank from which the glove shown in Fig. 1 is produced; I

Fig. '3 .is adiagram on an exaggerated scale illustrating the preferred method of forming the seam which unites the front and back areas of the glove;

Fig. 4 is a' front elevation of a modified form of glove blank; and.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of still another form of blank from which a glove embodying myinvention may .beproduced' In the illustrated embodiments of my,invention I have shown gloves wherein the front and back hand coverings and the.

40' front and back 'digit coverings are formed from separate and distinct yarns, which 'cov- 'erings are united during the knitting op-.

erations by suture seams, so-called,-composed of the terminal loops of the knitted courses constituting said coverings. It is within the spirit and scope of my invention to form the glove either by hand or upon any suitable type of machine, and in the present case I follow the latter method, preferably, though not necessarily, employing the type of knitting machine wherein the needle cylinder may be either rotated or re ciprocated, although the production of the glove embodying this invention essentially involves only the reciprocatory movements of said needle cylinder; but it is to be distinctly understood that within the scope and spirit of the invention the needle cylinder may be held stationary and the necessary movement be imparted to the cams.

The more exposed areas of the gloves, such as the hand and inner surfacesv of the fingers, may be and preferably are reinforced or strengthened by usingyarns which, with- 1n the scope and spirit of this invention, may 06 be of an extra heavy quality or made up of a number of yarns which are entirel knitted into partial courses extending bac and forth across the hand and finger strips.

I thus do away with the floating yarns always present in reinforced fabric of gloves,

stockings and the like, that are knitted upon machines in which the needle cylinder is continuously rotated instead of being. re-

ciprocated, as in the present case. l5

Obviously a considerablesaving in yarn and 1n the cost of production will. be effected by the elimination of said floating yarns and by dispensing with the extra labor required .to remove thesame after the knitting of the "composed of the distinctive yarns of said front-and back coverings which areformed .85 into loops during the knitting operation, and these loops are united in any well known manner to form seams which extend along opposite sides of the glove, said seamslembodying the characteristics of the'seam em-- ployed in so-called split foot hosiery.

There are numerous ways in w'hich such a glove may be produced, and I shall in the following specification describe several methods whereby the same may be accom: plished. The form of blank used by me in producing the glove illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, embodies a front hand covering 1,. and asi-milarl shaped back hand covering 2, each-of sai coverings having integrally 10 formed therewith front and rear digit coverings which compose the first, second, third and fourth fingers 3, 4:, 5 and 6 respectively;

A thumb 7 may be formed in any suitable manner in connection with the front hand we. covering 1. Preferably, however, this thumb is knitted integral with said hand covering in the form of a strip double the tion as a glove, yet it ;is obvious that within the scope and purpose of the invention may be included a. mitten and also what may be termed a glove mittef1,-that is one wherein a separate digit is formed for the first finger or the first and second fingers, and the remaining fingers are provided for by a single pocket formation. In any of the forms designated the method of procedure which has to do with my invention will be the same.

The machine for producing the gloves herein is equipped with two separate, preferably semicircular series of needles, each series being actuated by a separate set of knitting cams and having independent yarn guides or yarn feeding means. Each movement of the cylinder is substantially more than one-half of a rotation, but said knit ting cams are so arranged as not to affect in any way the needles of the other set, with the exception of the end needles of one of the series, which are sometimes called suture needles. V

During each distinct movement of the needle cylinder, a course of loops will be knitted upon both of said series of needles by their respective cams to form partial or semicircular courses. The terminal loops of said courses are united during the knitting of said courses to form, in the present instance-at opposite sides of the glove, suture seams 8 (see Figs. 1 and 3). The loops which form said suture seamv 8 preferably consist of alternate terminal loops at and b respectively, of the sections 1 and 2 of the fabric, as most clearly shown in Fig. 3, said loops being substantially uniformv in 'size and appearance with the loops of the sections united thereby. v

For further information concerning the formation of a suture seam, reference may be had to my Patent No. 1,154,169, issued 'Se tember 21, 1915.

he knitting of the glove is preferably commenced at the wrist 9 and continues along the wrist and part of the hand to the base of the thumb 7, as indicated by the line 10-10 (see Fig. 1). When this line is reached, knitting is preferably continued on a small group of needles by means of the knitting cams for the front hand section needles, the other needles of said series be- 11 of said thumb being preferably knitted first and from yarn similar to that used in knitting the back portion of the glove, while the inner portion 12 of said thumb strip is knitted last and from a heavier or more durable yarn,-that is, a yarn corresponding with the yarn from which the front hand portion 1 and the inner faces of the fingers 3, 4, 5 and 6 are constructed. When the line 13-13 is reached in the formation of said thumb strip, the remaining needles, including those of both series of needles, are restored to action and knitting proceeds along the front and rear hand coverings to the line 14-14 indicating the. bases ofthe' fingers.

Having reached the line 14-14, the wrist, hand portion and thumb of the glove blank will have been substantially completed, the opposite edges of the front and back hand coverings being united by the suture scams 8, 8, while the opposite'edges of the thumb strips 11 and 12 remain unseamed, but are later to be stitched together in the usual well known manner.

Assuming now that the finger portions of the glove are to be formed in accordance with the blank illustrated in Fig. 2, I may proceed on a smaller number of needles than are used in the formation of the hand to knit an one or any two of the finger coverings. n the form under consideration the finger coverings are preferably of finger length, and in single width'strips which are later seamed together along opposite edges and at their ends to form the finished fingers, with the exception of the first and fourth fingers which, in the present case, preferably have the outer adjacent edges of the front and the rear strips 15. and 16 of the finger 3 united by a suture seam 17 forming a continuation of the seam 8, and-like-- wise the front strip 18 and the back strip 19 of the little finger 6 are united along f their outer edges by a suture seam 20 forming a continuation of the seam 8 at that side of the blank. f

The order in which the several finger strips are knitted is of no great importance, Preferably, however, I knit the little finger 6 first, and this I do preferably by retiring all of the needles of both semiclrcular series, except those required to knit the front and rear strips 18 and 19. The knitting of the little or fourth finger strips is accomplished by reciprocating knitting, the group of needles from one of said semicircular series forming the section 18 of Inn flO

a plurality of partial or semicircular connected courses, while upon corresponding needles of the other series the section 19 is knitted also consisting of partial or semicircular courses and formed from distinct yarn. Theinner edge 21 of the section 18 and the inner edge 22 of the section 19 are sclvaged edges, while the outer edges-of said sections 18 and 19 are united during'the knitting of said sections by the suture seam 2O composed of the terminal loops of the courses forming said strips18 and 19, as illustrated in ,Fig. 3. v

'Having completed the little finger sections, I next effect the knitting preferably of the third finger strips, and this I do by em- 'wh'en stitched to the corresponding edges of the other strips of like fingersformlng' a gusset between the third and fourth'fingers as illustrated'at 25 (Fig. 1). The front and back strips 26 and 27, respectively, of the second finger are produced in substantially the same manner. That is, certain of the needles employed in knitting the front and back strips 23 and 24 are employed in knitting the strips 26 and 27 in addition to other needleswhich are brought into operation to cooperate therewith in knitting said strips.

The use of portions of the needles employed in knitting the strips 23 and 24 result in the formation of a gusset 28 between said third and second fingers.

After-completing the strips for the second finger I next proceed to knit the strips 15 and 16 constituting the strips for the first finger 3, and'this I do by employing a certain number of needles previously used in knitting the strips 26 and '27, with certain new groups,and thereby form between said second and first fingers a gusset 29. The needles employed in knitting said strips 15 and 16 are those at the ends of ,thesemicin cular series of needles, and thesetwo groups are separated only by a suture needle which is operated in'a well known manner to effect the interengagement of the terminal loops of the sections constituting the strips 15 and 16 to form, as hereinbefore stated, the suture seam 17. I

.Having completed-the knitting of all of the finger strips I now proceed to complete the formation of the glove by seaming to-.

gether the opposite edges of the thumb strip,

the inner edges and the ends of the first and fourth fin ers, opposite edgesof the second and third ngers, and the ends of said second and third fingers, the outer edges of said first and fourth fingers having been united by the suture seam during the knitting of the front and back portions of the glove blank.

The tip of the thumb strip may likewise be stitched to form a rounded end corresponding with the ends of the fingers of the glove.

While I have described the knitting of a left-hand glove, it is obvious that a righthand glove may be knitted in any of the ways described with reference to the lefthand glovep 1 It will be obvious that althoughI- have described the desired sequence of knitting the fingers of the glove, it is within the scope and purpose of the invention to vary the sequence. That is, the first-finger may be knitted and then the second, third and fourth fingers; or two or more finger strips may beknitted simultaneously,that is to say, the

' first and third, or the second and fourth may be knitted together. Instead of beginning the knitting at the wrist, it is obvious that within the scope and purpose of my invention knitting may be started at other places, such as at the ends of the finger strips, reversing the order of knitting the various sections of the glove.

As I have previously stated, the principal object of the invention is to form the glove in two sections of fabric united by suture seams, such as I have representedin diagram at 8 (Fig. 3) and which preferably-embody stituting the terminal loops respectively of, the sections of fabric 1 and 2.-

As a result of this method of manufacin construction alternate loops (1 and b-conture it is possible to produce a love wherein one section, say the palm of t e hand and inner surfaces of the fingers and thumb, may be formed practically without waste from a single heavy yarn or from a number of finer 'yarns knitted as. on'e, while the backs of said portions may be of lighter or less expensive yarns, thus effecting a considerable saving in cost as well .as in the amount of yarn used; the extra'amount of labor required to remove floating yarns will be eliminated; the front and back coverings of both fingers andhand may be composed of yarns differing in color'as well as in weight; andowing to the number of feeds used the glove may be knitted much faster than is ordinarily the caze when operating by reciprocating knit ting.

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated another form of glove blank embodying the essential feal-ln tures of my invention. In, this form the wrist 30, thumb 31, hand 32 and fir-st and fourth fingers 33 and 34, respectively, are

constructed in'substantially the same man-- ner as are the corresponding sections of the strips, instead of being of finger length, are

knitted in strips double the normal length of the fingers, and are integral preferably'with the back section 39 of the glove. The eX-- tremities 40.;and 41 of said strips when the same are doubled substantially at mid length, are preferably stitched to the upper edge 32' of the fabric forming the palm 32 of the glove. Thus in the finished glove a seam will extend from the inner edge of the first finger to the inner edge of the second finger, substantially as discloz'ed in my copending application Serial No. 252,965, filed September .6," 1 918. For further' information concerning this type of glove blank, reference may be had to said application.

In Fig. I have disclosed still another type of glove blank embodying the essential features of my invention, and wherein the front of the wrist and hand sections 42 and 43 respectively are integrally knit and united by suture seam-'5 44 and 45 with corresponding back sections 46 and 47 of said wrist and hand.

I preferably form in the front hand section 43 a thumb strip 48 in substantially the same manner asin the previous cases, 'although it is to be distinctly UIIdGITtOOd that within the scope and purpose of the invention this strip may be formed separately and stances.

attached thereto, or in any other suitable manner.

' When knitting of the glove blank has reached the line49 indicating the base line of the digit strips, all of the needles upon which the front, hand and wrist sections were formed are preferably withdrawn from action and the knitting continues upon the said needles from which the back hand section 47 was knitted, to form the several digit strips 50, 51, 52 and 53, which strips are preferably double the normal length of the fingers and overlapeach other sufliciently to provide gussets between the several fingers thereof. The knitting of .all of said digit' strips does not occur simultaneously, but in any desired sequence, as in previous in- Preferably I first knit upon a predetermined number of those needles previou:ly used in knitting the back hand section, the first finger strip 50, retiring the remaining needles from action during this operation, said retired needles retaining their loops. Upon completion of the first finger strip 50, I-may then, and preferably do, knit the second finger strip 51 upon a portion of the needles employed in knitting thestrip 50 so as to form an overlap 54, the other the entire width of said strip. After completion of the strip 52, I may, and preferably do,'knit the strip 53 for the little or fourth finger, and this upon portions of the needles previously employed in knitting the strip 52 so a to form the overlap 56.

Having completed the knitting of the four finger strips, the glove blank is complete and only requires the necessary seaming of the digit strips to form a completed glove.

One very important advantage in forming a glove blank in two sections united by suture seams at opposite sides of the hand and, in certain cases, along the outer edges of the first and fourth finger strips, is that the palm and inner faces of the fingers may be formed of a more durable yarn than that from which the back portions of the glove are formed, and therefore it will .be evident that the several blanks hereinbefore described require different methods of inserting the reinforcing or "more durable yarns at the proper places.

In the blank illustrated in eFig. 2, there will be practically no change in the yarns from the beginning of the knitting at the end of the wrist, provided knitting starts at this point, until all of the digit strips have been completed, except in the formation of the thumb strip wherein the back or outer portion 11 of said strip is preferably formed of yarn similar to that composing the back of the hand, while the inner portion 12 of said thumb strip will be knitted fromthe more durable yarn employed in the formation of the palm of the-hand and the inner faces of the digit strips.

In'Fig. 4 the second and third digit strips are shown double length, and as these strips are knit entirely upon the needles forming the back hand'strip, it will be necessary when the lower halves of these strips have been knitted to change the yarn from the lighter to the heavier or more durable yarn,

so that upon the subsequent doubling of said second and third finger strips, the reinforced orheavier portion will form a continuation of the front handsection.

In Fig. 5" the lower halves of thefinger strips 50, 51, 52 and 53, maybe knitted from the lighter yarns, and at mid length ofsaid strips a change may be made to theheavier grade of yarn.

Having thus described several illustrative embodiments of my invention, I desire it'to be understood that although specific terms are employed they are used ina-generic and uniting said coverings.

limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims:

1. As an article of. manufacture, a knitted glove blank having front and back hand coverings united along opposite edges by a sutu're'seam.

2. As an article of manufacture, a knitted glove blank having front and back hand coverings formed of distinct yarns and united along opposite sides by seams consisting'of loops formed from said yarns.

3. As an article of manufacture, a glove blank having front and back hand and digit coverings formed of distinct yarns and united along opposite edges by suture seams formed from said distinct yarns.

4. A knitted'glove-having integral hand and digit'sections, the front and back por tions of said sections being formed" of-distinct yarns and united in seams composed of the terminal loops of said sections.

5. A knitted glove having integral'hand and digit sections, the front and back portions of said sections being formed of dis tinct yarns and united along opposite sides of said sections in seams composed of alternate terminal loops of said front and back sections.

6. A knitted glove characterized by the formation from distinct yarns of front and back hand and digit sections consisting of connected partial courses, said sectionsbeing united along opposite edges by seams composed of end loops of said partial courses. f

7. A knitted glove characterized by the formation from two distinct yarns, of front and back hand and: digit covering consisting of partial courses, the terminal loops of one of said coverings alternating with those of the other of said coverings to form seams 8. The method of forming a glove which consists in knitting upon separate series of needles, from separate yarns, sections of fabric constituting front and back' hand coverings, and in causing the terminal needles of oneof said series of needles to effect the .interengagement of the terminal loops of said fabric sections to form a seam un1tglove having the front or palm portion and ing the'edges of said sections.

9. The method of forming a glove which consists in knitting upon separate series of needles, from separate yarns, sections of fabricconstituting front and back hand coverings, and in efiect'ing, during the knitting of successive courses of said sections, the interengagement of the terminal loops thereof to form seams uniting said front and back sections, then in knitting selvage'd finger strips integral with said front and back hand sections, and in effecting the interengagement of the terminal loOPs at the outer ed es of said finger strips to form seams uniting said outer edges.

10. The method of forming a glove which includes knitting'upon separate series of 'needles, from separate yarns, the front. hand covering 1 and back hand'covering 2, and in effecting during the knitting of successive courses constituting said coverings, the interengagement of the terminal loops (land 6 of said hand coverings, to form suture seams 8, 8, then in knitting integral with said hand coverings a plurality of digit strips, and in subsequently seaming the edges of said digit strips.

11. That method of forming a glove which includes knitting from separate yarns upon separate series of needles, the front hand covering-and backhand covering andin effecting, during the knitting of successive courses constituting said'coverings, the in terengagement of the terminal loops of said hand coverings to form sutureseams; then in knitting integral with said front and back hand coverings, a plurality of digit strips constituting the fingers, those digit strips -which are to form the front of the'fingers beingknitted upon one of the series of nee-' dles and those digit strips that are to constitute the backs of the-fingers being knitted upon the other series of needles and in sub- 'sequently seaming the edges of the digit strips. y

12. That method of ,forming a glove which includes knitting upon two separate series of needles from separate yarns, the front hand covering and the back whand covering and in effecting, during the knitting of successive courses constituting said coverings,

the interen'gagement of the terminal loops of said hand coverings to form suture seams; ,then in knitting integral with said hand coverings a plurality of six digit strips to constitute the finger coverings, two of said digit strips being formed wholly upon one of the series of needles, two-of the digit strips being formed wholly upon the other series of needles, and the remaining digit strips being knitted partially upon one of the series and partially upon the other series ofneedles, and in subsequently seaming the edges of a plurality of said digit strips.

13. As an article of manufacture, a knitted the front of the finger sections composed of one yarn, and the back together with the back of the finger sections composed of a different yarn there being' suture seams "uniting the pa n1 andrback portions and the front and back portions of the first, and

fourth'fin ers, sald suture seams'consisting of wales, the stitches whereof arealternately' composed of the yarns of the front and back portions of the glove. 14. As an article of manufacture, a knitted glove having the front or palm portion back of the finger sections composed of a. igortions of the glove, the other edges of the different yarn, there being suture seams nger strips being selvaged" edges and uniting the palm and back portions and the seamed together. 1

front and back portions of the first and In testimony whereof, I have signed my 5 fourth fingers,said suture seams consisting name to this specification.

0f wales, the stitches whereof are alternately composed of the yarns of the front and back GEORGE P. BOSWORTH. 

